Empire won't resume production after coronavirus shutdown, cutting its final season short

An Empire promo Tuesday night revealed that the hit Fox drama only has three episodes left, ending with Episode 18 instead of the planned Episode 20. Empire was in the middle of filming Episode 19 when production shut down over the coronavirus crisis. "The last completed episode before the coronavirus-imposed production shutdown, Episode 18, which is scheduled to air on April 21, is now set to be the premature end of Empire," according to Deadline. "To help create a more seamless overall ending, we hear this newly minted finale will likely feature footage from Episode 19, which was halfway through filming when the health crisis paused all Hollywood production. The show’s long intended ending, the series finale Episode 20, will never see the light of day for the once blockbuster."